Green Products: Low Voltage Lighting
Low-voltage lighting starts when the standard residential current of electricity is stepped down from 120 volts to 12 or 24 volts (in the US) by using a transformer (see Transformers for more). Low-voltage lighting has been around for decades, but has become more and more popular since more people have started to upgrade their homes. Often times you will see low-voltage lighting and you don't even realize that that is what you are looking at. It is used in a variety of applications and locations, including and not limited to: museums, bars, restaurants, homes, outdoors, patios, music events, theaters, and many others.
There are several advantages with low-voltage lighting that you would normally not receive in traditional lighting systems. Low-voltage does not mean low-wattage; in fact, low-voltage systems can consume just as much energy as a line voltage system can, except many times, low-voltage systems have caps because systems circuits normally max out at 300 watts (12-volt systems). Ultimately, these systems allow more flexibility while create and great atmosphere.
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What Are The Advantages of Low Voltage Lighting?
Low-voltage lighting has several advantages. Most people confuse low-voltage lighting with a lower light output, but one of the main advantages of low-voltage lighting is that you can often get the same amount of light from a low-voltage application. Most low-voltage fixtures have a max wattage capacity of 50 watts. Now some might think that is not enough light, but the reality is that in low-voltage applications you are not looking to illuminate as you would in a general lighting application.
Low-voltage lighting most often times is used to create an ambient atmosphere by creating lighting effects with special halogen lamps that you normally could not get from a line-voltage fixture. Low-voltage fixtures are normally smaller in size which allows for more versatility, which means that you can often times place low-voltage fixtures in areas where line-voltage fixtures could not go.
MAIN ADVANTAGES:
- extensive light bulb options
- great for art work
- great for creating wall washing effects
- versatility
- they come in a variety of styles and options
- low-shock hazard
- often used for landscape lighting
- can replace existing lighting systems and give better lighting
- great for display lighting, showrooms or other commercial applications
- can be dimmed
- it produces comfortable and ambient light sources
DISADVANTAGES:
- transformer is required
- can be more expensive than traditional lighting
- systems max out at 300 watts
- often times requires technical skills for installations
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What Are The Types of Lamps That Can Be Used in Low-Voltage Lighting?
Some examples of low-voltage lamps are:
- LEDs
- AR111
- MR16
- MR11
- PAR36
- T3-1/4, T5
- Strip lights, etc.
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